By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — Friday afternoon, December 1, a memorial gathering was held in the UCSD Faculty Club to honor the life of Professor Sanford “Sandy” Lakoff, who died September 25. The nine speakers included Lakoff’s nephew Andrew Lakoff; cousin Mickey Held; cousin of Sandy’s wife, Wilma Liebman; and colleagues Peter Cowhey, Peter Gourevitch, Gary Jacobson, Sam Kernell, David Laitin, and Richard Atkinson, 94 year old president emeritus of the University of California.
They talked about Sandy’s life: his coming from a working class immigrant family, growing up in Bayonne, New Jersey, losing his mother at an early age, and helping raise his younger brother after his father died. Sandy attended Brandeis University where he became editor of the school newspaper and active in Young Judea. He did his graduate work at Harvard, where he served as an Assistant Professor. Subsequently, he held professorships at Stonybrook University and the University of Toronto before becoming founding chair of the Department of Political Science at UC San Diego.
Sandy also published many books and articles including Max Lerner, Pilgrim in the Promised Land, about Sandy’s brilliant mentor at Brandeis University and A Shield in Space with Science Professor Herbert York.
Sandy fostered long-lasting connections to friends around the world such as Jacob Goldberg, who had served as an adviser to Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Barak. That 40-year friendship began when the Lakoffs hosted Goldberg’s lecture at their home on behalf of American Professors for Peace in the Middle East. As a result of that lecture, Sandy invited Goldberg to come to UCSD as a visiting professor. Goldberg also served as a visiting professor at SDSU where he helped to found their Lipinsky Institute of Judaic Studies. Lakoff always introduced Goldberg at one of his three-part annual lectures on the Middle East at the Lawrence Family JCC. “We became very close friends, communicating with each other several times a week,” said Goldberg.
At the Memorial, a brochure was handed out which included written remarks by his brother, George Lakoff, Professor of Linguistics at Berkeley, cousin Linda Robins, childhood friend Ted Stahl and colleague Samuel L. Popkin.
Brother George remembered the Bar Mitzvah present Sandy gave him: an inexpensive record player and three recordings, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, Threepenny Opera recorded by Leonard Bernstein and Songs from the Veldt sung by coal miners, reflective of Sandy’s eclectic musical tastes. Popkin recalled the popular music sing-alongs at the Lakoffs’ home.
Sandy was also a supporter of San Diego’s Early Music Society in which his first wife, Evelyn was involved.
Cousin Linda recalled Sandy’s cooking skills: he was the chef during both of his marriages.
Colleague Popkin wrote about the senior thesis program Sandy initiated, at which he read the submissions until his 92nd birthday.
Under Lakoff’s leadership, the National Research Council named UCSD’s Political Science Department one of the top ten departments in the country. Not only did Sandy recruit some of the finest colleagues, but UCSD developed top rate programs in US-Mexican Relations, Latin American Studies and helped build the School of Global Politics and Strategy.
He shared his wisdom both inside and outside the classroom, including talks at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center and at synagogues throughout San Diego. As professor emeritus, Lakoff continued lecturing to the UCSD Emeriti Association and to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
He received many awards for his distinguished teaching and service, including the Revelle Medal at UCSD and the Constantine Panunzio Award from the University of California.
Sanford “Sandy” Allen Lakoff is survived by his wife, Deborah Miller Lakoff, his brother, George Lakoff, his nephew Andrew Lakoff and his grand nieces, Natalia and Paloma Lakoff.
The family suggests donations to the Early Music Society and Jewish Family Service.
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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.